Table of Contents

Wireless Sniffing with Kali Linux

Software

  • Virtual machine (VMWare, VirtualBox, KVM, ...)
  • Kali Linux 2017.2 in virtual machine

Hardware

  • Panda Wireless N600 Dual Band Wireless-N USB Adapter
  • Lab Network (configured to ensure USB adapter can capture all traffic)
    • SSID: cyberlab-ctc214-Student-2.4GHz
      • Channel: 11 (2462 MHz, 20MHz channel, No extension channel)
      • 802.11g/n
      • MIMO 2x2 (not 3x3 as AP is capable of) - HT MCS 0-15
    • SSID: cyberlab-ctc214-Student
      • Channel 165 (5825 MHz, 20MHz channel, No extension channel)
      • 802.11 n/ac
      • MIMO 2x2 (not 3x3 as AP is capable of) - HT MCS 0-15
      • No VHT (disabled)

Network Capture

Download Kali Linux ISO from https://www.kali.org/ and install into a virtual machine

Connect the USB WiFi Adapter. In your virtual machine, attach that USB device (labeled Ralink 802.11 n WLAN) directly to your Kali Linux VM.

Install VM tools in Kali to improve integration:

$ sudo apt-get install open-vm-tools open-vm-tools-desktop

Verify that the USB adapter is visible in Kali:

$ lsusb
# Should see Ralink Technology, Corp. RT5572 Wireless Adapter

Verify that the network interface is visible in Kali:

$ ifconfig
# Should see network interface with one of two names:
#   'wlanN' where N is an integer
#   'wlxXXXXXXXXXXXX' where XX... is MAC address of interface

Configure Network Manager to stop managing the wireless device

$ gedit /etc/NetworkManager/NetworkManager.conf &
#
# Add these two lines at the bottom of the .conf file:
[keyfile]
unmanaged-devices=interface-name:wlan0;interface-name:wlan1;interface-name:wlan2;interface-name:wlan3

Put the network interface in monitor mode and specify the channel used by cyberlab-XXX wireless network:

$ ifconfig wlan0 down
$ iwconfig wlan0 mode monitor channel XXXX
# where XXX is channel, i.e. 11 or 165 in standard lab configuration
$ ifconfig wlan0 up

Launch Wireshark.

  1. Under Edit->Preferences->Protocols->IEEE 802.11, ensure that "Enable Decryption" is checked
  2. Under Edit->Preferences->Protocols->IEEE 802.11->Decryption Keys, enter the password for the cyberlab-XXX network you are passively monitoring and wish to decrypt.
    1. Choose key type "wpa-pwd"
    2. For the key, use the format password:SSID to explicitly tell Wireshark what SSID the password corresponds to. For passwords or SSIDs that contain spaces, use URI-style percent escapes, e.g. %20 for a space.
    3. For additional configuration tips, see: https://wiki.wireshark.org/HowToDecrypt802.11
  3. Begin capturing data on the 'wlan0' interface.

When finished with data capture, restore the network interface:

ifconfig wlan0 down
iwconfig wlan0 mode managed channel auto
ifconfig wlan0 up

Verification

Wireshark has a very long list of 802.11 display filters you can choose from. Some of the more useful filters are:

  • wlan - Show only 802.11 frames
  • wlan.addr==08.00.08.15.ca.fe - Show only 802.11 frames to or from a specific MAC address
  • wlan.ssid=="cyberlab-ctc214-Student - Show only 802.11 management frames for the SSID cyberlab-ctc214-student
  • eapol - Show only 802.1x EAPOL authentication messages

Other filters let you dig into the specific frame types:

Frame Type Wireshark Filter
Management frames wlan.fc.type==0
Control frames (RTS, CTS, ACKs, ...) wlan.fc.type==1
Data frames wlan.fc.type==2
Frame Subtype Wireshark Filter
Association request wlan.fc.type_subtype==0
Association response wlan.fc.type_subtype==1
Probe request wlan.fc.type_subtype==4
Probe response wlan.fc.type_subtype==5
Beacon wlan.fc.type_subtype==8
Disassociate wlan.fc.type_subtype==10
Authentication wlan.fc.type_subtype==11
Deauthentication wlan.fc.type_subtype==12

For Wireshark to decrypt client traffic using the key you entered, it must capture the initial 4-way handshake. You can check if you captured the 4-way handshake by using a Wireshark filter of eapol. You should see 'Message n of 4' printed 4 times for each client.

WiFi EAPOL filter in Wireshark

Debugging Information

There are a variety of commands in Linux to learn more about your wireless network interface and nearby access points.

Show list of wireless devices (e.g. phy0) and the wireless interfaces (e.g. wlan0) associated with it:

$ iw dev
phy#0
    Interface wlan0
        ifindex 3
        wdev 0x1
        addr 9c:ef:d5:fe:bb:ce
        type managed
        txpower 0.00 dBm

Show capabilities of the wireless PHY hardware:

$ iw phy phy0 info
Wiphy phy0
    max # scan SSIDs: 4
    max scan IEs length: 2257 bytes
    max # sched scan SSIDs: 0
    max # match sets: 0
    max # scan plans: 1
    max scan plan interval: -1
    max scan plan iterations: 0
    Retry short long limit: 2
    Coverage class: 0 (up to 0m)
    Device supports RSN-IBSS.
    Supported Ciphers:
        * WEP40 (00-0f-ac:1)
        * WEP104 (00-0f-ac:5)
        * TKIP (00-0f-ac:2)
        * CCMP-128 (00-0f-ac:4)
        * CCMP-256 (00-0f-ac:10)
        * GCMP-128 (00-0f-ac:8)
        * GCMP-256 (00-0f-ac:9)
    Available Antennas: TX 0 RX 0
    Supported interface modes:
         * IBSS
         * managed
         * AP
         * AP/VLAN
         * monitor
         * mesh point
    Band 1:
        Capabilities: 0x2fe
            HT20/HT40
            SM Power Save disabled
            RX Greenfield
            RX HT20 SGI
            RX HT40 SGI
            TX STBC
            RX STBC 2-streams
            Max AMSDU length: 3839 bytes
            No DSSS/CCK HT40
        Maximum RX AMPDU length 65535 bytes (exponent: 0x003)
        Minimum RX AMPDU time spacing: 2 usec (0x04)
        HT TX/RX MCS rate indexes supported: 0-15, 32
        Bitrates (non-HT):
            * 1.0 Mbps
            * 2.0 Mbps (short preamble supported)
            * 5.5 Mbps (short preamble supported)
            * 11.0 Mbps (short preamble supported)
            * 6.0 Mbps
            * 9.0 Mbps
            * 12.0 Mbps
            * 18.0 Mbps
            * 24.0 Mbps
            * 36.0 Mbps
            * 48.0 Mbps
            * 54.0 Mbps
        Frequencies:
            * 2412 MHz [1] (20.0 dBm)
            * 2417 MHz [2] (20.0 dBm)
            * 2422 MHz [3] (20.0 dBm)
            * 2427 MHz [4] (20.0 dBm)
            * 2432 MHz [5] (20.0 dBm)
            * 2437 MHz [6] (20.0 dBm)
            * 2442 MHz [7] (20.0 dBm)
            * 2447 MHz [8] (20.0 dBm)
            * 2452 MHz [9] (20.0 dBm)
            * 2457 MHz [10] (20.0 dBm)
            * 2462 MHz [11] (20.0 dBm)
            * 2467 MHz [12] (20.0 dBm) (no IR)
            * 2472 MHz [13] (20.0 dBm) (no IR)
            * 2484 MHz [14] (20.0 dBm) (no IR)
    Band 2:
        Capabilities: 0x2fe
            HT20/HT40
            SM Power Save disabled
            RX Greenfield
            RX HT20 SGI
            RX HT40 SGI
            TX STBC
            RX STBC 2-streams
            Max AMSDU length: 3839 bytes
            No DSSS/CCK HT40
        Maximum RX AMPDU length 65535 bytes (exponent: 0x003)
        Minimum RX AMPDU time spacing: 2 usec (0x04)
        HT TX/RX MCS rate indexes supported: 0-15, 32
        Bitrates (non-HT):
            * 6.0 Mbps
            * 9.0 Mbps
            * 12.0 Mbps
            * 18.0 Mbps
            * 24.0 Mbps
            * 36.0 Mbps
            * 48.0 Mbps
            * 54.0 Mbps
        Frequencies:
            * 5180 MHz [36] (20.0 dBm) (no IR)
            * 5190 MHz [38] (20.0 dBm) (no IR)
            * 5200 MHz [40] (20.0 dBm) (no IR)
            * 5210 MHz [42] (20.0 dBm) (no IR)
            * 5220 MHz [44] (20.0 dBm) (no IR)
            * 5230 MHz [46] (20.0 dBm) (no IR)
            * 5240 MHz [48] (20.0 dBm) (no IR)
            * 5250 MHz [50] (disabled)
            * 5260 MHz [52] (20.0 dBm) (no IR, radar detection)
            * 5270 MHz [54] (20.0 dBm) (no IR, radar detection)
            * 5280 MHz [56] (20.0 dBm) (no IR, radar detection)
            * 5290 MHz [58] (20.0 dBm) (no IR, radar detection)
            * 5300 MHz [60] (20.0 dBm) (no IR, radar detection)
            * 5310 MHz [62] (20.0 dBm) (no IR, radar detection)
            * 5320 MHz [64] (20.0 dBm) (no IR, radar detection)
            * 5500 MHz [100] (20.0 dBm) (no IR, radar detection)
            * 5510 MHz [102] (20.0 dBm) (no IR, radar detection)
            * 5520 MHz [104] (20.0 dBm) (no IR, radar detection)
            * 5530 MHz [106] (20.0 dBm) (no IR, radar detection)
            * 5540 MHz [108] (20.0 dBm) (no IR, radar detection)
            * 5550 MHz [110] (20.0 dBm) (no IR, radar detection)
            * 5560 MHz [112] (20.0 dBm) (no IR, radar detection)
            * 5570 MHz [114] (20.0 dBm) (no IR, radar detection)
            * 5580 MHz [116] (20.0 dBm) (no IR, radar detection)
            * 5590 MHz [118] (20.0 dBm) (no IR, radar detection)
            * 5600 MHz [120] (20.0 dBm) (no IR, radar detection)
            * 5610 MHz [122] (20.0 dBm) (no IR, radar detection)
            * 5620 MHz [124] (20.0 dBm) (no IR, radar detection)
            * 5630 MHz [126] (20.0 dBm) (no IR, radar detection)
            * 5640 MHz [128] (20.0 dBm) (no IR, radar detection)
            * 5650 MHz [130] (20.0 dBm) (no IR, radar detection)
            * 5660 MHz [132] (20.0 dBm) (no IR, radar detection)
            * 5670 MHz [134] (20.0 dBm) (no IR, radar detection)
            * 5680 MHz [136] (20.0 dBm) (no IR, radar detection)
            * 5690 MHz [138] (20.0 dBm) (no IR, radar detection)
            * 5700 MHz [140] (20.0 dBm) (no IR, radar detection)
            * 5745 MHz [149] (20.0 dBm) (no IR)
            * 5755 MHz [151] (20.0 dBm) (no IR)
            * 5765 MHz [153] (20.0 dBm) (no IR)
            * 5775 MHz [155] (20.0 dBm) (no IR)
            * 5785 MHz [157] (20.0 dBm) (no IR)
            * 5795 MHz [159] (20.0 dBm) (no IR)
            * 5805 MHz [161] (20.0 dBm) (no IR)
            * 5825 MHz [165] (20.0 dBm) (no IR)
            * 4920 MHz [184] (disabled)
            * 4940 MHz [188] (disabled)
            * 4960 MHz [192] (disabled)
            * 4980 MHz [196] (disabled)
    Supported commands:
         * new_interface
         * set_interface
         * new_key
         * start_ap
         * new_station
         * new_mpath
         * set_mesh_config
         * set_bss
         * authenticate
         * associate
         * deauthenticate
         * disassociate
         * join_ibss
         * join_mesh
         * set_tx_bitrate_mask
         * frame
         * frame_wait_cancel
         * set_wiphy_netns
         * set_channel
         * set_wds_peer
         * probe_client
         * set_noack_map
         * register_beacons
         * start_p2p_device
         * set_mcast_rate
         * connect
         * disconnect
         * set_qos_map
         * Unknown command (121)
    Supported TX frame types:
         * IBSS: 0x00 0x10 0x20 0x30 0x40 0x50 0x60 0x70 0x80 0x90 0xa0 0xb0 0xc0 0xd0 0xe0 0xf0
         * managed: 0x00 0x10 0x20 0x30 0x40 0x50 0x60 0x70 0x80 0x90 0xa0 0xb0 0xc0 0xd0 0xe0 0xf0
         * AP: 0x00 0x10 0x20 0x30 0x40 0x50 0x60 0x70 0x80 0x90 0xa0 0xb0 0xc0 0xd0 0xe0 0xf0
         * AP/VLAN: 0x00 0x10 0x20 0x30 0x40 0x50 0x60 0x70 0x80 0x90 0xa0 0xb0 0xc0 0xd0 0xe0 0xf0
         * mesh point: 0x00 0x10 0x20 0x30 0x40 0x50 0x60 0x70 0x80 0x90 0xa0 0xb0 0xc0 0xd0 0xe0 0xf0
         * P2P-client: 0x00 0x10 0x20 0x30 0x40 0x50 0x60 0x70 0x80 0x90 0xa0 0xb0 0xc0 0xd0 0xe0 0xf0
         * P2P-GO: 0x00 0x10 0x20 0x30 0x40 0x50 0x60 0x70 0x80 0x90 0xa0 0xb0 0xc0 0xd0 0xe0 0xf0
         * P2P-device: 0x00 0x10 0x20 0x30 0x40 0x50 0x60 0x70 0x80 0x90 0xa0 0xb0 0xc0 0xd0 0xe0 0xf0
    Supported RX frame types:
         * IBSS: 0x40 0xb0 0xc0 0xd0
         * managed: 0x40 0xd0
         * AP: 0x00 0x20 0x40 0xa0 0xb0 0xc0 0xd0
         * AP/VLAN: 0x00 0x20 0x40 0xa0 0xb0 0xc0 0xd0
         * mesh point: 0xb0 0xc0 0xd0
         * P2P-client: 0x40 0xd0
         * P2P-GO: 0x00 0x20 0x40 0xa0 0xb0 0xc0 0xd0
         * P2P-device: 0x40 0xd0
    software interface modes (can always be added):
         * AP/VLAN
         * monitor
    valid interface combinations:
         * #{ AP, mesh point } <= 8,
           total <= 8, #channels <= 1
    HT Capability overrides:
         * MCS: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff
         * maximum A-MSDU length
         * supported channel width
         * short GI for 40 MHz
         * max A-MPDU length exponent
         * min MPDU start spacing
    Device supports TX status socket option.
    Device supports HT-IBSS.
    Device supports SAE with AUTHENTICATE command
    Device supports low priority scan.
    Device supports scan flush.
    Device supports AP scan.
    Device supports per-vif TX power setting
    Driver supports full state transitions for AP/GO clients
    Driver supports a userspace MPM
    Device supports configuring vdev MAC-addr on create.

Show information about the AP you are associated with (if any):

$ iwconfig wlan0
wlan0  IEEE 802.11abgn  ESSID:"Pacific_Guest"  
          Mode:Managed  Frequency:5.22 GHz  Access Point: 00:3A:7D:04:32:AE   
          Bit Rate=54 Mb/s   Tx-Power=15 dBm   
          Retry short limit:7   RTS thr:off   Fragment thr:off
          Power Management:on
          Link Quality=70/70  Signal level=-38 dBm  
          Rx invalid nwid:0  Rx invalid crypt:0  Rx invalid frag:0
          Tx excessive retries:0  Invalid misc:0   Missed beacon:0

Show information about the AP you are associated with (if any):

$ iw dev wlan0 link
Connected to 00:3a:7d:0b:42:de (on wlx9cefd5febbce)
    SSID: Pacific_Guest
    freq: 5765
    RX: 245231 bytes (3322 packets)
    TX: 7119 bytes (74 packets)
    signal: -52 dBm
    tx bitrate: 18.0 MBit/s

    bss flags:  short-slot-time
    dtim period:    1
    beacon int: 102
$ iw dev wlan0 station dump
Station 00:3a:7d:0b:42:de (on wlx9cefd5febbce)
    inactive time:  868 ms
    rx bytes:   272547
    rx packets: 3693
    tx bytes:   7422
    tx packets: 78
    tx retries: 32
    tx failed:  3
    signal:     -56 dBm
    signal avg: -54 dBm
    tx bitrate: 18.0 MBit/s
    rx bitrate: 54.0 MBit/s
    expected throughput:    12.359Mbps
    authorized: yes
    authenticated:  yes
    preamble:   long
    WMM/WME:    no
    MFP:        no
    TDLS peer:  no

Show LENGTHY details about all access points within range and their capabilities:

$ sudo iw dev wlan0 scan
... Will show LENGTHY details

Alternate Method (airmon-ng)

Alternate method, using airmon-ng tools:

# Check for wireless interface:
$ airmon-ng

# Should see:
# PHY   Interface   Driver      Chipset
# phy0  wlan0       rt2800usb   Ralink Technology, Corp. RT5572

# Check for processes that might interfere with monitor mode:
$ airmon-ng check

# Should see:
# Found 2 processes that could cause trouble.
# If airodump-ng, aireplay-ng or airtun-ng stops working after
# a short period of time, you may want to run 'airmon-ng check kill'
#
#   PID Name
#   552 NetworkManager
#  1332 wpa_supplicant

# Kill processes that might prevent USB WiFi from entering monitor mode:
$ airmon-ng kill

# Set USB WiFi to monitor mode
$ airmong-ng start wlan0 165

# Begin wireshark capture on new interface that was created: wlan0mon

# Cleanup
$ airmon-ng stop wlan0mon